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Ashanti dishes on her ex Nelly hugging her on ‘Verzuz’ after six years apart: “It was so weird”

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

When Fat Joe and Ja Rule battled on Verzuz two weeks ago at Madison Square Garden in New York City, many people were shocked to see Nelly walk across the stage to hug his former girlfriend, Ashanti. The two stars ended their eleven-year relationship in 2014.

“It was so weird because we haven’t seen or spoken to each other in over six years,” the “Rain on Me” singer said Tuesday on The Tamron Hall Show. “I really didn’t expect it. I didn’t know he was going to be there honestly, so when I saw him coming across the stage, I was like, ‘Oh.’ It’s been so long, I didn’t know how to feel or what I was going to feel when i actually did see him.”

Though they had a bitter breakup, now Ashanti says, “The anger is long gone.”

Tamron opened their interview discussing how SZA told Ashanti at the MTV VMAS earlier this month that as a young woman, she waited ten hours for Ashanti’s autograph.

“I’m a fan of hers and she actually posted the picture of herself and me when she was at the signing,” Ashanti said. “I was so touched and stunned and I felt the love. I didn’t want to stop hugging her.”

Next year, the 40-year-old singer will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her self-titled, RIAA-certified triple Platinum debut album, which was released in 2002. The album sold 503,000 copies during its first week, the most of any debut by a female artist at that time.

During the Tamron Hall Show appearance, the Grammy winner also announced that she’s obtained legal rights to the album masters, and will re-record the album on her own independent label.

Nick Jonas and wife Priyanka are producing new Broadway comedy ‘Chicken & Biscuits’

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Nick Jonas is currently on tour with the Jonas Brothers, but apparently, he still has time to dabble in theater. He and his wife, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, have just joined the producing team of a new Broadway show called Chicken & Biscuits, which is currently in previews at New York City’s Circle in the Square Theater.

Chicken & Biscuits was written by Douglas Lyons and is directed by  Zhailon Levingston, who at 27 is the youngest Black director in Broadway history. It follows the Jenkins family, who deal with family infighting and secrets while planning their father’s funeral.

Nick has a major background in Broadway, having appeared in productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Les Misérables. In a statement, he says, “Broadway has always had a special place in my heart, it helped launch my career. And after the last year and a half, Broadway is exactly what we need in this world.”

“This play highlights the importance of love, laughter, and family,” adds Nick, who visited the cast and creative team this past weekend. “It’s got energy, it’s got style, and it’s got heart. The kind of vibe that is so unique to live theater.”

Priyanka notes that this is her first foray into Broadway, but adds, “It’s time we see some more diversity on the stage, and this cast and production team is making history on that front.”

Broadway, of course, is a small world: Nick worked with another Chicken & Biscuits producer, E. Clayton Cornelious, and one of the show’s co-stars, Michael Urie, on the upcoming new movie version of the musical Jersey Boys. Nick also appeared with Urie in How to Succeed.

Chicken & Biscuits officially opens October 10 for a limited engagement that runs through January 2.

Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus is “cancer free”

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

In a very welcome bit of good news, Mark Hoppus is now “cancer free.”

The Blink-182 bassist/vocalist shared the announcement in an Instagram post Wednesday.

“Just saw my oncologist and I’m cancer free!!” Hoppus wrote. “Thank you God and universe and friends and family and everyone who sent support and kindness and love.”

Hoppus added that he still needs to “get scanned every six months” and that it will take him “until the end of the year to get back to normal.”

“But today is an amazing day and I feel so blessed,” he wrote. “Can I get a W in the chat?”

Hoppus revealed he’d been diagnosed with cancer back in June. He’d been documenting his journey through chemotherapy over the last few months with the sincerity and humor he’s known for. He even changed his Twitter bio to describe himself as a “cancer haver,” which has now been triumphantly changed to “cancer destroyer.”

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Hayley Williams deems Paramore’s ’Brand New Eyes’ “our ‘Some Kind of Monster’”

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Atlantic

Metallica and Paramore may not seem that similar on the surface, but Hayley Williams relates to one particular part of the metal legends’ history.

On Wednesday, the Paramore Twitter account marked the 12th anniversary of the band’s 2009 album Brand New Eyes. “12 years ago today we were obviously mad as hell at each other,” the post reads. “Thank y’all for the grace.”

Williams then retweeted her band and added, “This was our ‘Some Kind of Monster,'” referring, of course, to the 2004 documentary that explored the personal turmoil and intra-band strife that marred the recording process behind Metallica’s 2003 album, St. Anger.

Brand New Eyes was the much-anticipated follow-up to Paramore’s 2007 breakout album, Riot! While Brand New Eyes earned critical and commercial accolades, Paramore, much like Metallica, was dealing with personal issues and fracturing relationships between band members. Just a year after the album’s release, brothers and founding members Josh and Zac Farro left the band.

Zac eventually returned to Paramore in 2017, and is featured on their latest album, After Laughter.

this was our ‘some kind of monster’ https://t.co/REZRNdKN5w

— hayley from Paramore 🥀 (@yelyahwilliams) September 29, 2021

Funko announces Metallica ’Black Album’-themed Pop! figures

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Move over Diamond plaques and Grammy trophies, because Metallica‘s The Black Album has now earned the most prestigious honor there is: a Funko Pop! recreation.

The toy company has announced a Black Album-themed set in its ever-popular line of adorable, big-headed vinyl figures. The collection includes period-appropriate plastic versions of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and former bassist Jason Newsted, along with a Funko replica of the record and its cover artwork.

You can pre-order the package now exclusively via Walmart.com.

The Black Album celebrated its 30th anniversary in August. Earlier this month, Metallica released a deluxe reissue of the record, as well as The Metallica Blacklist, a 53-track tribute compilation featuring covers of each one of the original album’s songs.

Walker Hayes calls “Fancy Like” a love song for normal people

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Walker Hayes‘ career has had a big, big boost thanks to the viral success of “Fancy Like,” a move that was anything but calculated. The Alabama native is still blown away by how much the song has propelled him and his music, especially now.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen to a 41-year-old dude with a wife, six kids, two dogs and two gerbils,” Walker concedes to People, adding that it’s really geared to the everyday American.

“It’s a love song for people with mortgages and kids,” he says. “That’s it — that’s what we accidentally did. We wrote about everybody who lives in a strip-mall town, and they’re fine with it. And you know what’s cool about it is, that’s me.”

While Walker might be famous, he insists he’s just like the people he’s singing to on “Fancy Like.”

“My wife and I live in a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood with a ballpark and a Y and some schools and strip malls — Chick-Fil-A, Kroger, Burger King, Waffle House, Applebee’s …We’re obviously like a lot of people, and really, it’s freeing because, wow, there’re more dudes out there like me,” he says.

Wave Brenda & Eddie hello: Video for Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” premieres Thursday

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

It was never a single, but Billy Joel‘s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” from his 1977 album The Stranger, is one of his most beloved tracks. Billy’s lyrics paint such a vivid picture — a bottle of red, a bottle of white and those sweet romantic teenage nights with Brenda and Eddie — that it’s no wonder it’s finally inspired a music video after all these years.

The animated clip will premiere on Billy’s official YouTube channel at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday. There will also be a live chat with the video’s creative director, Steve Cohen. Another creative director, Ryan McAllister, explains the impetus behind the video in a preview posted on Billy’s socials.

“There’s a whole catalog of music that existed before music video,” says McAllister. “That led to a discussion of, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to make a music video for one of these classic hits that never had [one]?'”

He continues, “It’s been about a year since we started working on this. And we’re super-stoked to see it out in the world. This project was sorta like the beginning of the path back from the darkness that started with the pandemic, so it has a really special place for all of us.”

October will mark the 50th anniversary of the release of Billy’s debut album, Cold Spring Harbor, and his five-decade career is being celebrated with Billy Joel – The Vinyl Collection, Vol.1, a nine-LP set coming out on November 5.

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Billie Eilish and FINNEAS join ‘The New Yorker’ Festival for virtual chat & performance

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Billie Eilish and her brother/collaborator FINNEAS are the latest musicians to sign up for this year’s edition of The New Yorker Festival, an annual week-long event staged by the long-running magazine.

On Wednesday, October 6, starting at 8 p.m., the Grammy-winning siblings will join New Yorker staff writer and Grammy nominee Amanda Petrusich for a virtual chat and performance. You can buy tickets to watch the stream at festival.newyorker.com for $19.

There’s a lot going on with both Billie and FINNEAS these days: They just attended the premiere of the James Bond film No Time to Die, for which they wrote the theme song, and FINNEAS’ debut solo album, Optimist, is coming out October 15. Billie’s album Happier Than Ever is out now, and she’ll hit the road in 2022 for a tour.

Other celebrities appearing at the New Yorker Festival include Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, singer/songwriter Aimee Mann, Amy Schumer, Stanley Tucci, Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac.

Kayne West removes Chris Brown’s vocals from ‘Donda’ track

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Kanye West/Chris Brown beef has been escalated, as West has completely removed Brown’s vocals from the song “New Again” on his Donda album.

After previously replacing Brown’s lead vocals with his own voice, now Kanye has a choir singing Breezy’s background vocals on the new version of the album streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chris was livid when Yeezy made the first adjustment, calling him a “whole hoe” in a posted and since deleted Instagram Story.

Brown is not the only artist feuding with Kanye about the album. As previously reported, Soulja Boy was ready to get violent when West cut him Donda. The “Crank That” rapper says Kanye loved his verse on the “Remote Control” song, then erased it from the track. Young Thug is now featured on the song.

“I wanna fight. Do u know how to fight? @kanyewest,” Soulja wrote as part of a long Twitter response. “I feel like u a hoe. Let’s get in the ring?”

Draco also got personal, claiming he was intimate with Yeezy’s wife before him: “I was the first rapper wit @KimKardashian not u @kanyewest.”

The Atlanta MC also had a warning for West: “I might diss u everyday for the rest of my life how I’m feeling @kanyewest.”

New David Bowie box sets, ‘Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001)’ and ‘TOY (TOY:BOX),’ due in the coming months

September 29, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Plans have been unveiled for two new archival David Bowie box sets that will be released in the coming months.

One is the fifth installment in the series of expansive collections focusing on different periods in the late rock icon’s career, Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001), which is due out on November 26. The other is an expanded version of Bowie’s legendary unreleased 2001 album TOY, titled TOY (TOY:BOX), which will be issued on January 7, 2022.

Brilliant Adventure will be available as an 11-CD set, a 15-LP vinyl package and digitally. The box set includes remastered editions of five Bowie studio albums — 1993’s Black Tie White Noise, 1993’s The Buddha of Suburbia soundtrack, 1995’s 1.Outside, 1997’s Earthing and 1999’s ‘hours…’. It also includes the previously unreleased live album BBC Radio Theatre, London, June 27, 2000; the Re:Call 5 compilation, featuring alternative versions, B-sides, soundtrack recordings and more; and the aforementioned TOY.

TOY features updated versions of select early Bowie songs recorded mostly live in the studio with members of his touring band at the time. David had hoped to release the album quickly but when his plan was delayed, he put the project aside and moved on to his next record, Heathen.

TOY (TOY:BOX) will be available as a three-CD set and a six-disc 10-inch vinyl collection. The package will include the originally planned album, alternative mixes of the TOY tracks and tunes intended as B-sides, and stripped-down, mostly acoustic mixes of the songs.

One TOY track, an updated rendition of the 1965 Bowie song “You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving,” has been released as an advance digital single.

You can pre-order Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) and TOY (TOY:BOX) now. Visit DavidBowie.com for more information.

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